


The Wheels Keep On Turning

by kolbietheninja



Series: Naruto Time Travel Fics [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Gen, Konan and Nagato are the only sane ones, Konan is so done with all of them, Naruto is not a wise sage, Not To Be Taken Too Seriously, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Time Travel, Yahiko thinks he is, but Nagato is, flashfic, just an excuse for Naruto/Ame Orphans fluff, lots and lots of hair rufflings, major spoilers of course, mostly fluff and friendship, some obligatory angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 22:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2167866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kolbietheninja/pseuds/kolbietheninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Heh. Pervy Sage wasn't kidding; you really are like a little me." </p><p>Wherein Naruto (un)officially adopts Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan as his students, and the world becomes a strange place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Call Me Sensei!

**Author's Note:**

> The time period changes each chapter. It jumps from the Ame Orphans as children to adults to teenagers - and so on and so forth. EDIT: I've added the estimated ages of the characters at the top of each chapter, so hopefully that will clear up any confusion about the time-skips.
> 
> This isn't your usual time travel fic; I'm not interested in attempting to cover every single little butterfly effect or to come up with some elaborate plan to save the world. This is really just an excuse for Naruto-sensei/Ame Orphans fluff. :D
> 
> [This fic has been cross-posted to Fanfiction.net.]

**I. (Yahiko, Age: 10-ish)  
**

"Heh. Pervy Sage wasn't kidding; you really are like a little me."

The amused, smooth baritone easily cuts through their banter, and, despite sparing a moment to wonder how the intruder could get inside their little hut without their noticing, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan immediately move from their spots on the floor and into a standard formation, kunai held firmly in each of their hands. The man doesn't bat an eye at their movements and makes no move to attack, _his_ hands in his pockets and his posture languid.

Yahiko, ignoring the small voice in the back of his mind wishing fervently that Jiraiya-sensei hadn't abando—returned to service as he often does, manages to relax enough to survey the stranger before him, who is clad in a black long sleeve and pants and is carrying an old duffle bag. Shockingly bright blond hair sticking out at all angles, much like his, on a face no older than twenty is impeded only by the black hitai-ate indicating his shinobi status, and the symbol...

Momentarily flummoxed, Yahiko stands from his slight crouch and blurts out, "Konoha?"

The amusement is even more pronounced, so much so that Yahiko can _see_ the laughter dancing in the man's blue eyes. His indignation is surpassed only by his curiosity and caution; one of the first things Jiraiya-sensei had taught them was not to be goaded into revealing information or endangering themselves by potential enemies.

The intruder smiles slightly and brings a hand up to grasp the metal. "Nice observational skills, kid."

"Who are you calling 'kid'?!" Well, so much for that.

Shrugging in reply, the stranger walks further into the room; as he does so, they, as one, take a few steps back, tightening their holds on their weapons. Confusion strikes once more as the blond ignores them completely and plops down near their fire. "Man, is it cold out there! I know this is Ame, but seriously? Does it _always_ have to be raining?" He mutters to himself as he scoots closer to the flames for warmth.

Completely bewildered, he shares looks with Nagato and Konan, who have no better handles on the situation than him. The increasingly awkward silence is broken by the man as he says, casually, "You can sit down, y'know. I don't bite."

Finally, seeing that the other two have appointed him as their leader (again), Yahiko asks, abruptly, "Just who are you?!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Jounin, Toad Sage, Traveler," he lists off before turning to them with a wide, genial grin. "I'm also a good friend of Pervy Sage. You guys know of him as Jiraiya-sensei."

Despite his initial suspicion at such a claim, that small voice pushes through his denial and demands, "Jiraiya-sensei? Is he coming back to us?" He hadn't meant to phrase it that way, but it's what all of them are wondering, anyway. He ignores any lingering embarassment as he notices the man's good humor fade slightly.

Sighing ruefully, his gaze focuses back onto the fire as he says, "...No, he's not. With the war still going on, Konoha needs Pervy Sage on the front lines." His gaze snaps back to them, smile in place of the frown. Thumb aimed at his chest, he reveals, "He sent me here instead. Feel free to call me 'Naruto-sensei'!"

Absolutely thrown for the umpteenth time since meeting this man, Yahiko can only gape as he coaxes both Nagato and Konan into relaxing by the fire, a warm cup of tea thrust into their hands and small grins on their faces. He is broken out of his stupor by a firm hand on his upper back guiding him to a seat beside Nagato.

"Ne, ne, Yahiko-kun, keep your mouth open like that, and something will fly into it."


	2. Adults Sure Know How to Guilt Trip

**II. (Naruto, Age: 18-ish)  
**

"Naruto-sensei!" The chorus of voices yell from outside their hut, one tone outraged and the others seemingly half-hearted. Suddenly, the door slams open, and the sight of his three students greets him, Konan leading the charge. Her eyes narrow at him in anger, and Naruto absently wonders what he's done to upset his female student this time. Behind her, Yahiko is barely stifling his laughter, and Nagato keeps glancing between him and Konan nervously.

The bluenette brandishes a familiar orange book at him, and the entire situation becomes clear. " _What_ is this, sensei? We've found a ton of _these_ books in your stuff. Really? _How_ can you possibly go on and on about Jiraiya-sensei being a pervert when you _read_ his _books_? And you _own_ every _one_ of them?"

"Er... actually-"

"I mean, _really_? What kind of respectable adult— _shinobi_ , even—reads this kind of stuff? And you're our _sensei_. We're impressionable _children."_

"If you would just let me-"

"Have you no shame? It's completely deplorable, not to mention-"

"-explain, I'd tell you that Pervy Sage sends them to me without asking. I have no say in the matter."

"-you'll give Yahiko ideas..." His explanation pulls her up short, and Konan's anger quickly morphs into embarassment. She glances at him and then the others uncertainly before coughing into her hand. "Well, then... I apologize for making assumptions, sensei."

"That's alright. I'm not mad about that." His easy-going expression sharpens as he levels them with a Look. "I do, however, have a problem with you going through my things without permission. Not only do I dislike having my privacy violated, but I also have some rather dangerous scrolls in my possession. Do you have any idea what could have happened if you'd have activated one of them?"

Guilt-ridden and repentant, the trio apologize sincerely. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Yahiko admits, "It was my idea, sensei. I was just curious about what kind of cool stuff you'd have. Nagato and Konan tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn't listen. And when Konan caught sight of your books..." He left unsaid the obvious aftermath.

Smiling again, he ruffles the boy's hair. "As long as you've learned your lesson..." He trails off expectantly.

As one, they reply, "We have!"

"Good." Noticing the slight tension remaining, Naruto cracks out a teasing smirk. "Aww, man. How awesome of a sensei am I? I don't even have to do anything to teach you life lessons." Clapping his hands together once and nodding, he declares, "Alright. That's it. From now on, my cute students, I won't teach you jutsu. I'll just wait until you guys mess up and then wring a lesson out of it."

Cue the groaning. " _Sensei."_


	3. Obligatory Peace Speech

**III. (Nagato, Age: 10-ish)  
**

"Peace?"

Nagato nods and watches as his second sensei muses on his question. He'd formed his own opinions about achieving peace, of course, and had listened to Jiraiya-sensei's idealistic views. However, this has been eating at him for awhile, ever since he'd met this charismatic, optimistic man who seemed to discriminate no one and was perhaps incapable of hate. Nagato had most likely not been the only one of his friends to notice the similarities between Naruto-sensei and Yahiko—their personalities, appearances, even laughter; his likeness is probably why the three of them bonded so quickly with the ever-grinning man.

All of this is also why Nagato wants—no, _needs_ to know his opinions and thoughts; it might even help him in his own quest for peace.

Face grim, the blond shares, "Peace... will not be easy to achieve. As you know, 'alliances' between villages are broken all the time, and 'peace _times_ ' are easily shattered, perhaps aptly described as 'the calm before the storm.'" Turning to the sky, he continues, "People are as much of the problem as the solution. Love, hate, vengeance, greed—All of these things are human nature, and all of them have caused countless wars."

He remains silent for a few moments, fists tightly clenched, before going on, his eyes now meeting Nagato's. "...but then, there are people like you, who possess one of these reasons and a desire to _prevent_ wars. To answer your question, Nagato-kun, I do believe in peace. Whole-heartedly."

A warm, comforting hand rests on his head, and his sensei bends down to eye-level, absolutely beaming. "Peace _is_ attainable, and I think that my cute, little student will be the one to do so, ne?"

Surprised at the sheer conviction in his words (and remembering Jiraiya's offhand comments in this vein), Nagato nods numbly, and his sensei barks a laugh.

The pain of Jiraiya-sensei's absence, though not disappearing completely, is certainly ebbing bit by bit with Yahiko, Konan, and sensei by his side, and he wonders, privately, if life gets any better than this.

Later, in the quiet dark of the night before falling asleep, his eyes flash, and he vows to find peace _somehow_ and allow _everyone_ to experience this bliss.


	4. My Students Are Adorable

**IV. (Konan, Age: 12-ish)  
**

"So who's this other guy Jiraiya-sensei ditched us for, anyway?"

The question is abrupt and seemingly random, but Konan will readily admit the sting of their sensei's leaving became even worse when she discovered his _first_ student was the main reason for his swift departure. Naruto-sensei hadn't _said_ as much, hadn't even hinted at it, but she'd drawn her own conclusions. She's not even remotely surprised her boys did the same; they'd all always been rather similar in their ways of thinking.

Confusion flits across their sensei's face for the first time in a long time (Some part of Yahiko is probably patting himself on the back) as he stares at their thinly veiled morbid curiosity. When he finally answers, his voice is lined with suspicion. "Why do you guys want to know?"

Not even attempting to hide anything, Yahiko, blunt as ever, replies, "I want to know what's so great about him."

Nagato snorts from beside her, and she barely refrains from rolling her eyes. Naruto-sensei merely raises an eyebrow. "...Pervy Sage didn't 'ditch' you; as a shinobi of Konohagakure, he has duties he must perform, no matter where he is or what he's doing or even if he has three wonderful students out in Ame. Besides, if he didn't sense any potential in you three, he wouldn't have bothered with you at all. You _do_ remember he was a sensei _before_ he met you guys, right?"

As he goes on, Konan begins feeling more and more silly and yet, strangely enough, also very relieved. "If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't have sent me. No one, not even Pervy Sage, can make me do anything I don't want to do. If _I_ hadn't found something worthwhile in you guys to make me stick around, I would have walked right back out that door."

Once again, Konan finds herself looking at her sensei in wonder. It often causes her to marvel, as it does now, just how a person could have so much faith in her, in _them_. They're just war orphans, and though she, herself, has different opinions on the matter, there's nothing particularly special about them, either. It boggles the mind and makes her very happy—gleeful, even—that such a man has not only just _looked_ at them but has gotten to know them and not found them wanting.

Upon noticing the three awed children staring up at him, Naruto-sensei glances away and rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "A- _any_ way, stop sulking, you brats. It's not like you." Konan giggles at his discomfort, as Yahiko smiles impishly, and Nagato chuckles. Whipping around to glare at them, he mutters, "...ungrateful, I swear."

Sobering, Yahiko asks again, "I'd still like to know, sensei. What his other student is like, I mean."

"I _guess_ I could describe him for you... Maybe..." Glancing down at Yahiko's puppy-dog eyes, he groans. "Okay. Okay. I'll do it." Running a hand through his short hair, he begins, "Well, I haven't seen him in a while, y'know, so some things might have changed."

Waving dismissively, Yahiko says, "That's fine. Just get on with it."

Rolling his eyes, he goes on, "His name is Namikaze Minato, and, as per some statistics or something—(Don't look at me like that; I've never asked _how_ it's done exactly)—Pervy Sage happened to get the team with Minato-kun on it. Honestly, the whole thing might have been rigged 'cause Minato-kun was a prodigy, and, though I'd never say it to his face, Pervy Sage is kind of awesome. But what do I know?"

Ignoring Yahiko's mumble ("Apparently nothing..."), he describes, "Minato kind of looks like me—blond hair, blue eyes—but our personalities are totally different. He's really quiet and analytical, and, like I said, he's considered a prodigy. He's either planning to or is in the midst of creating his own jutsu, and he's two years younger than me—sixteen."

Stroking his chin in a completely ridiculous manner and seemingly thinking hard, he adds, "Oh, and he has his own genin team. They're a cute bunch of kids." Beaming at his already amused students, he assures them, "Not as cute as you guys, though!"

 


	5. Summon and Run Like Hell

**V. (Yahiko, Age: 18-ish)  
**

"What's going to happen at Kannabi Bridge?" Nagato's deep baritone shatters the tense silence they'd been in since their sensei had rushed back to their camp, flustered, and told them they had to hurry to their destination. Bemused, they hadn't asked any questions and did as they were told, following their sensei into the dense forest.

Without even glancing back, Naruto-sensei explains, "I have a bad feeling. A _really, really_ bad feeling."

Bemused, the trio share Looks, and Yahiko demands, " _Why_? About what?"

"Minato-kun and his team." His reply does nothing to assuade their concerns. "They have a mission there. Today. Right now."

Realization dawning on him (and not questioning how his sensei knows; he's long since learned Naruto-sensei sometimes just _knows_ things), Yahiko states what they've all pretty much put together, "You think something bad is going to happen to them." He sees his sensei nod in comfirmation.

Understanding the situation now, they all exert much more effort. This is one of their fellow students and a friend of their sensei, after all. (Not to mention the little kids...)

Not long after their enlightening conversation, they arrive at the bridge, and Team Minato is nowhere in sight. The blond curses under his breath before ordering them to spread out and search with a reminder to watch out for Iwa nin. Their paths are quickly decided nonverbally (The four of them _have_ been working as a team for years), and Yahiko immediately begins his own search. Not being a tracker in any sense of the word, he has to observe the surroundings for any sign of disturbances that might indicate Team Minato's wheareabouts, relying on his intuition, really.

The path he's chosen leads to a river, and though the distance is relatively short (via the Body Flicker or even simply running), he'd had to take it slightly slower lest he miss anything. Being a 'frontline fighter' can really suck sometimes, especially when it comes to missions that require an entirely different set of skills. His musing is interrupted as he finally comes upon the river, and the signs of ninjutsu use (namely fire jutsu) and blood (He withholds a wince) are rather obvious.

The thick, coppery smell (He'd said he wasn't a tracker, but the scent of blood isn't exactly hard to distinguish.) leads him to an earthern cave, wherein he hears a scream ("Kakashi!") and the distinct sound of metal on metal indicating fighting (all of this taking place within a few seconds.) Wordlessly, he shunshins into the cave just in time to witness the two boys double-teaming an Iwa nin, who slumps to the ground from a katana to the shoulder.

Not having noticed him yet, they hurry over to their unconscious teammate without checking whether or not their enemy is truly dead. Remaining out of sight and waiting until...There. As he'd thought, the enemy nin wasn't downed so easily. Feeling only slightly triumphant, he silently appears behind the man as he jumps to his feet and knocks him out with the handle of his kunai.

The loud 'thwump' attracts the attention of the other inhabitants of the cave, but Yahiko pays them no mind as he binds the man with wire. It had always been his policy to avoid killing, and Jiraiya-sensei and Naruto-sensei had only encouraged his way of thinking. What happens to the man after they hand him over to other ninja isn't any of his business.

"Who are you?" The loud inquiry echoes throughout the cave, and Yahiko, finished with the binding, turns to face the younger children.

Regarding each of them, he realizes that they can't be more than twelve or thirteen, and, despite their distinct appearances, he can't assign a name to any of them; Naruto-sensei hadn't ever been very forth-coming about Team Minato. As the silence continues, the three of them become more and more wary, and Yahiko breaks out a dazzling, disarming smile (that he'd learned from Naruto-sensei) and replies, "I'm Yahiko. You know of Jiraiya-sensei, right? I'm one of his students."

Rather than reassuring them, this declaration only makes them more suspicious. The masked kid speaks up this time, "Jiraiya-sama has only had one genin team."

Smile faltering a bit, he asserts, "I am, though. Really. Jiraiya-sensei taught us—my teammates and I—for three years at the end of the Second Shinobi War. I come from Ame."

The girl's glare wavers as she states, hesitantly, "...Minato-sensei _did_ say that Jiraiya-sama was in Ame for a while when we first became a team."

"Exactly. He was teaching us." Yahiko agrees, nodding emphatically.

"You don't look very strong..." The brunette declares doubtfully.

Mouth twitching but still smiling, he retorts, "What was that, you brat?" At this, his cheerful smile takes on a terrifying edge (yet another skill he'd learned from his blond sensei.) "Would you rather I have let that Iwa nin stab you from behind? I can do it myself if you like. After all, I'm not that strong."

The slightest bit of uncertainty enters their expressions, and Yahiko takes a moment to wonder why he is knowingly hindering himself with this great first impression when, suddenly, the rest of his team is beside him, his sensei signalling them to grab the kids and retreat quickly. They do so, and they only let go of the struggling children when they are what his sensei deems a safe distance away.

The kids back away to what _they_ think is a safe distance, eyeing all of them warily.

"What was that-"

His sensei cuts the kid off with his own question. "Are any of you hurt?"

Surprised into answering, they shake their heads in response. His sensei almost sags in relief, and Yahiko is very glad he'd made it in time to prevent whatever it is the man had been dreading. Addressing him, the blond clarifies, "There's an entire base of Iwa nin not far from here. Did any enemies manage to escape?"

"No. I incapacitated one of them, and it seems that these kids took out the rest of them."

"That's good news. If anyone had gotten away and sent for help, we might have been in some trouble." Shaking his head as if to clear of it of the morbid 'what if's, he turns to the kids. "Can you contact your sensei? We'd escort you back to him, but we've got business elsewhere."

Ignoring the question, apparently, the masked kid demands, "Why are you helping us? You're not even from our village, and we don't have an alliance with Ame."

Quickly realizing that these children don't know his sensei personally (which explains the severe lack of details), Yahiko pipes up, "I already told you, you brat. We're students of Jiraiya-sensei, and you're students of _his_ student. You're kind of our responsibility."

Running a hand through his hair and sighing tiredly, Naruto-sensei agrees, "What he said" before adding, "Also, allowing innocent people—especially children—to die needlessly or at all goes against everything I stand for."

"That hitai-ate..." The girl mutters loud enough for everyone to hear, apparently having spotted it tied to his forearm when his hand went to his hair. "You're from Konoha?" She asks incredulously, glancing rapidly between him, his teammates, and his sensei. Her two male teammates perk up at this and pin their gazes on the blond as well.

Naruto-sensei answers, albeit reluctantly, "Technically, yes. I travel a lot, though." Visibly not pleased at all with the vague explanation, the brunette opens his mouth to ask something else, but he closes it in surprise as the blond appears behind the masked kid and rifles through his weapons pack. He grabs what he was searching for—a custom kunai?—before flickering back to them, his actions too fast for Team Minato to follow, let alone prevent.

He then throws it quite the distance away and signals to them to leave quickly. Yahiko, only a step behind Nagato, glances back for but a moment and sees a blond man bearing looks remarkably similar to his sensei appear near the kunai in the distance. So that was Naruto-sensei's plan: Throw the sensei-summoning-kunai and run like hell.

Grinning, he moves to run alongside Nagato.

 


	6. Gullible is Spelled with a 'Q'

**VI. (Yahiko, Age: 11-ish)  
**

"...It's _really_ not that funny, you know," Yahiko grounds out, torn between wanting to hide his quickly reddening face and kicking his new sensei where the sun doesn't shine (not that one can even see it in Ame.) He settles for crossing his arms and huffing before turning to Konan and Nagato. Pointing at the hysterical blond rolling around on the floor, he asks, tone dubious, "Are we really sure we want this guy to teach us? Even Jiraiya-sensei wasn't so obnoxious."

At Konan's pointed look, he amends, "Most of the time."

"We should at least give him a chance," Nagato pipes up, genial as ever. Expression earnest, he asserts, "If Jiraiya-sensei sent him all the way from the Land of Fire, he must good, right?"

The three of them stare at the now panting man grinning crazily at the ceiling. "Or he could have just sent us this nutjob 'cause he thought it'd be funny..." Konan murmers after a few moments.

Not having anything to say against that logic—Jiraiya-sensei isn't far from insane himself—the redhead merely shrugs haplessly, and Yahiko rolls his eyes, an action all three of them will get down to a fine art in the upcoming years with Uzumaki Naruto as their sensei.

"I can hear you, y'know," the black-clad ninja says, startling Yahiko, who scowls. Apparently completely uncaring as to his students' doubts about his sanity and abilities, he brings the conversation back to the previous topic. "So you actually wore those frog suits, huh?"

Groaning, Yahiko covers his face with his hands and then begs, "Someone make it stop!" Over his own whining, he hears Konan sigh, and he can just imagine the embarassment on Nagato's face.

"And you really believed they would aid you in your training?" Naruto-sensei's tone of voice is entirely too amused for his liking. Without waiting for an answer—It's not like he was going to get one, anyway—he goes on, "Oh, man, I forgot Pervy Sage liked to pull crazy stuff like that."

Nagato finally steps in and saves the day (and perhaps all of their dignity) by asking, "Naruto-sensei, you keep referring to Jiraiya-sensei as 'Pervy Sage'. Why is that?" The leader of their little trio lifts his head from his hands and (after sending a glance of gratitude to his red-haired friend), Yahiko looks to their sensei curiously, noticing his female friend do the same.

The blond's sly grin morphs into a puzzled frown before his eyes light up in realization. "Oh, that's right. You guys wouldn't know 'cause there aren't any towns or houses around for miles." Crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side as he muses, he visibly decides something and tells them, "Wait here a second; I'll be right back."

The man is true to his word as the three of them barely have a chance to exchange confused glances before he returns, hand now occupied by an orange book. Smirking deviously, he holds the book up and taps the finger of his opposite hand on the author's name—Jiraiya—below the title, Icha Icha Paradise. "This is one of his books."

Recognizing it, Konan supplies, "That's one of the books Jiraiya-sensei was writing while he was here. I remember because he wouldn't let us read it."

"Now that you mention it... It _does_ look familiar." Yahiko takes the orange novel, and after examining the cover, he flips it over and reads the summary aloud. "'Mitsuko, a kunoichi known for her pretty face, super strength, and constant rejection of guys, becomes involved in a hot, steamy love triangle between Takeshi, an elite shinobi and childhood friend, and Naoki, a rival kunoichi who intends to beat Mitsuko in both romance and combat—'"

He is interrupted by a screetch of "Give me that!", and before he knows it, Konan has snatched the novel from him and is reading off, "Mature content. Must be eighteen or older." Her outraged countenance then becomes eerily blank as she stares unseeingly at the orange hentai (because Yahiko is certain that's what it is.) A quick glance at Naruto-sensei assures him that the blond is weirded out, too.

Yahiko is about to wave his hand in front of her face to get a reaction, but she breaks from her stillness and rounds on their sensei, nostrils fuming. "That—That... That _idiot_! I can't believe I was taught by a pervert! Oooh, I wish he was here now! I'd smack some sense into him. Hentai! Honestly!" Having said her peace, she shoves the book in sensei's hands and stomps towards the door.

She's about to the turn the handle before she hestitates and whips back around to address him. "Yahiko, don't you dare attempt to read that book." The glare on her face is enough to make him swallow his objections and simply nod. She turns to Nagato next. "Nagato, don't let Yahiko persuade you to read it if he _does_ get his hands on it. You're too good to be corrupted by these two."

"Hey!" He and his sensei protest simultaneously.

She whirls on them and levels them with a Look. They promptly shut their traps. "Naruto-sensei, either hide that book from Yahiko or burn it. I'm going out for a bit." She only leaves after the blond nods in acquiescense.

As soon as he is certain the temperamental female is out of hearing range, he argues, "I am _not_ corrupted, and I don't corrupt people!" Ignoring Nagato's snort, he continues, incredulous, "I can't believe she would say that!"

Nodding in agreement, his sensei claims, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm just as surprised as you are, Yahiko-kun. Where would she even _get_ that idea?" Standing from the slump he'd been in since the accusation, he clenches his fist in front of him and maintains, "I'm _nothing_ like that old pervert!"

This time, Yahiko pats his back in consolation.

Nagato watches all of this, his eyebrow twitching and desperately holding in any sarcastic comments (He's the nice one, damn it!) When the two begin discussing how all women are born violent ("She's going to turn into a sadistic slaveworker; they all do!" —wise words from his sensei), he throws his hands up in exasperation and exits the room to search for the only other sane person around, his actions going completely unnoticed by Yahiko and Naruto-sensei.

 


	7. It's Training Time!

**VII. (Konan, Age: 10-ish)  
**

"Water, eh? I don't know too many water techniques..." Naruto-sensei states, much to Yahiko's apparent dismay. Konan suppresses a giggle, but the orange-haired boy shoots her a scowl, anyway. She shares an amused glance with Nagato. Suddenly, the blond smacks his fist in his open palm and reveals, "There _is_ that..."

Squinting down at Yahiko, he inquires, "Do you know of the Kirigakure no Jutsu? It's a D-rank, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to make even the most basic techniques go up a rank or two with a little tinkering." Yahiko shakes his head, but his eyes are burning in excitement. Konan fights back the fond smile threatening to break out on her face. She wouldn't want to go around _beaming_ like Naruto-sensei, after all. The two of them already think she's crazy.

"'Hiding in the Mist Jutsu' sounds awesome!" The orange-haired boy practically swoons. The sight is both hilarious and slightly disturbing.

Nagato speaks from beside her, breaking her out of her musings, "Considering most jutsu are exactly what their names suggest, I'm assuming this one will allow Yahiko to 'hide in the mist'?"

"Good deduction, Nagato-kun," Naruto-sensei praises, ruffling his red hair, and Nagato lights up himself. Really, her boys are just too cute sometimes. "Hindering the sight of the enemy is certainly one of its advantages, but in order to do so, Yahiko-kun, you're going to have to first create the mist." Sensei continues explaining the pros and cons of the technique and then teaches Yahiko the hand signs before sending him off to train some meters away.

"Who's next?" Naruto-sensei asks, regarding them both with the same strange expression—amusement, sadness, and wistfullness—that Konan has become accustomed to since this man showed up and inserted himself into their lives. It never fails to both please and confuse her, and she can't but wonder if he isn't seeing someone else when that expression is pointed at her.

Glancing at Nagato, she sees him practically shaking in excitement, and she shakes her head. Seeing that her friend so obviously wants to learn but doesn't want to hinder or something by saying so, she answers for him, "I'll go after Nagato. He might maul me if I don't."

The mix of eagerness and horror on his face and the mirth on her sensei's tip Konan over the edge, and she laughs, Naruto-sensei's smooth chuckles joining her not long after. _She_ gets a hair ruffle when they get their breath back, and she attempts to stop the utterly pleased expression from creeping onto her face, considering she'd been secretly making fun of Yahiko and Nagato for doing the same.

"Well, we don't want you getting hurt, Konan-chan," Naruto-sensei teases, and Nagato's skin color begins to rival his hair. Letting the boy off the hook, he exchanges his teasing grin for a friendly smile. "Okay, so, Nagato-kun, what is your affinity?"

"My main affinity is wind," he reveals after some consideration. Konan can only wonder about his hesitation.

Not missing a beat, Sensei divulges, "That's good; I thought you were going to say fire or something. _I'm_ a wind user, too." After a few moments of deliberation (in which Nagato rolls on the balls of his feet in eager anticipation), he announces, "Okay, the jutsu I'm going to teach you—Reppūshō—is a C-rank, but I don't think you'll have any problems with it. Basically, you clap your hands together, compress wind, and release it as a powerful gale."

Naruto-sensei explains the process and hand signs and then sends Nagato to his own training spot. "Thanks, sensei!"

"Okay, Konan-chan, what am I going to be teaching you?" He questions, and she only spares a moment to wonder at her sensei's choice of words.

A little shy now that both of her friends are off training, her voice seems small as she answers, "I don't have an affinity, Naruto-sensei." When the only reaction she gets is the lifting of an eyebrow, she goes on, cupping her hands together and forming a paper flower as easily as breathing, "All of my techniques involve paper."

"How cool!" He blurts out, and Konan doesn't know when she closed her eyes. At the positively esctatic grin on the man's face, she feels the anxiety leaving her, and she offers her own small smile in return. His expression then becomes comtemplative.

"Konan-chan, have you tried to make a paper clone?"


	8. Nagato's a Friggin' Genius, I Swear

**VIII. (Nagato, Age: 18-ish)  
**

"Sensei, why did we run from Jiraiya-sensei's student?" Despite his usual gentle and forgiving nature, Nagato has never quite warmed up to the fact that Jiraiya-sensei's other student is able to see him regularly, being that they live in the same village, and so not mentioning his name has merely become habit, one that both Yahiko and Konan share, much to their sensei's bemusement.

He wasn't exactly looking forward to meeting the man, but he hadn't expected to flee after saving his students, either. Though the three of them had agreed (after meeting in secret) that they wouldn't press Naruto-sensei for answers concerning his convenient knowledge and would instead wait for the man to reveal the reasons himself, it's been almost eight years since they'd made the promise without so much as a clue, and Nagato has long since come to the conclusion that, perhaps, their sensei needs a little push.

Rubbing the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly, Naruto-sensei admits, "It wasn't one of my better plans..."

"Ih dwuhsn' weally mwake shense, dwuhs ih?" Yahiko adds, attempting to articulate with a mouth full of noodles. At Konan's reproachful look, he swallows and goes on, "I mean, yeah, he'd probably be suspicious of us, but he'd know you... Right, sensei?" Nagato knows the pause is due to the fact that the Other Student's genin team didn't know him earlier today. The Other Student not knowing him isn't completely out of the realm of possibility.

A pensive frown overtakes the blond's face as he struggles to answer, and Nagato decides that it's high time they stop dancing around the topic. He momentarily wonders just when Yahiko rubbed off on him before blurting out:

"You weren't really sent by Jiraiya-sensei, were you?" Ignoring the wide eyes of his friends, he keeps his gaze locked on his sensei's face. "I've been thinking about it for a while now: Why would he send someone of your calibre just to take care of us? And even if you weren't that great of a ninja, almost all of the villages have been sending _children_ out into this war. They're obviously lacking manpower, and no good leader would put the survival of a couple of foreign orphans above the survival of the _village_."

Naruto-sensei's face, at first rife with a panick-y surprise, has slowly morphed into resignation, and despite the fact that they're finally going to get some much needed answers, Nagato takes no satisfaction in knowing that _he_ is the cause of the defeated slump of this man's posture.

"The fact that you're not out fighting in the war would, under normal circumstances, mean that you are a missing nin." Taking no note of Yahiko's slackjawed expression or the worried crease of Konan's brow, Nagato continues stating his theories and findings, " _but_ this explanation doesn't clear up how you knew about us. Other than Jiraiya-sensei's teammates and possibly the Hokage, no one _should_ know about us."

He pauses momentarily to gauge whether or not his friends have reached any of the same conclusions as he before marching on. "Being a good friend of Jiraiya-sensei, as you claim to be, you could, conceivably, have been informed by him. Combining that with the previous explanation, that would make you a missing nin who is also close to our sensei. This explanation is somewhat feasible, given the evidence I've stated already."

"It's somewhat feasible, but it's not entirely true, is it?" Not waiting for a response, he goes on, "Even being a missing nin, for whatever reason, wouldn't have explained the numerous instances over the years where you've had 'feelings' that predicted either good or bad outcomes; and even then, these 'feelings' wouldn't— _could not_ —have been right _every_ time."

The guilt eating away at him is slightly appeased by the quirk of the blond's lip at his deductions. Knowing his sensei, the man is most likely impressed that Nagato had remembered every single incident and had put everything together.

"And last, but not least, there is your inexplicable knowledge. The three of us have been with you the entire time we've been in Kusa, and you hadn't received any messenger hawks or met with anyone who could possibly have told you the specifics of that team's mission. Also, for that matter, why would you even _need_ to know? You obviously weren't planning on interacting with any of them. This isn't the first time you've had a 'feeling' and unnaccountable knowledge."

Taking a moment to catch his breath (He'd speaking for quite a while now), he finally finishes his impromptu speech by listing his points on his fingers, "You are a Konoha shinobi though not currently allied with it, you are good friends with Jiraiya-sensei, and you have 'feelings' and insight into otherwise unknown situations."

Noticing that everyone is holding _their_ breaths by this point, Nagato doesn't make them wait any longer. "Naruto-sensei, I have come to two possible conclusions: The first is that you have the ability to see the future. I can immediately dismiss this one, however, because had you the ability, you could have foreseen this conversation. The second ... is that you are a time traveler."

Nagato, in all of his intelligence and reviewing of this scenario before it had ever become reality, had expected the incredulity from Yahiko and Konan; he'd even expected Naruto-sensei's dropped jaw and widened eyes. He had _not_ imagined that in the aftermath of the revelation his sensei would fall off of his log in frenzied laughter.

He is seventeen years old, and yet his sensei can still succeed in making him feel like a child.

Faintly remiscent of another childhood incident, the trio pay no attention to their sensei as they continue to converse. Yahiko breaks out of his shock first. "Nagato... Are you serious?"

At his raised eyebrow communicating something along the lines of "Really?", the other boy backtracks. "Okay, so I get that you've put a lot of thought into this, but... Time travel? Is that even possible?" He looks to Konan for help.

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, she replies, "Theoretically speaking, it could be possible. With enough research, training, possibly mastery over Space-Time techniques..." She trails off uncertainly at the sight of the hysterical blond rolling in the dirt and clutching his sides.


	9. A Scroll, Ink, and a Rainbow

**IX. (Naruto, Age: 25-ish)  
**

Really, honestly, and truly... He should have known better.

This was the man ( _boy_ ) who'd created the Sixth Paths of Pain and all of that other crazy stuff in another life, and Naruto had always known that Nagato cut through the bullshit and never really missed anything. Out of the three of them, he should have known Nagato would have caught on sooner rather than later.

Then again, it's not exactly as if he were _attempting_ to hide anything. He'd just never explained himself, and none of his students had ever asked him. He supposes he should be thankful they'd waited this long. The laughter that is even now escaping him is due to the sheer _relief_ that Nagato had somehow gotten it _right._

Naruto _knows_ that none of _his_ precious people would have believed him had he told them what Nagato had deduced. Who in their right mind would automatically assume he was a time traveler and not deluded or an enemy nin? Naruto had always wondered if not telling the trio when they first met or maybe even just a few years later would come back to bite him in the ass. He'd always just thought he'd wing it and come up with some convoluted explanation if it _did_ , but he hadn't even had the chance to speak once Nagato got going. And _boy_ , did he get going.

Heh, he might even be able to convince the Old Man and Pervy Sage if he has Nagato there to explain, well, _every_ thing.

Eventually, his full-blown laughter dissolves into chuckles, and then he's just left gulping in air. His wonderful, amazing, scowling students notice his new coherency, and he picks himself up off of the ground and seats himself back on the log. Peering at the expectant faces surrounding him, he heaves a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Yes, I am."

Immediately, Yahiko demands, "How?"

Running his hand through his hair, he discloses, "Well... it involves a scroll, some ink, and a rainbow..." He then spends the next fifteen minutes describing the arduous process of attempting to draw a rainbow with his friends nitpicking from behind him. "It was still kind of squiggly, y'know? _Kiba_ said so, anyway, so I had to—"

Yahiko had long since begun banging his head on a tree, and Konan had tuned out five minutes in and was currently attempting to make a paper replica of Yahiko and the tree. Nagato was the only one actually paying attention, but fifteen minutes was a bit much, even for him. "Naruto-sensei? What does this have to do with time travel?"

Rolling his eyes and then shaking his head in disappointment, he exclaims ruefully, "Kids have no appreciation for good stories these days." Heaving another sigh, he addresses Nagato, "If my cute little students wouldn't be so impatient, they'd find out that this story leads up to it." When even _Nagato_ levels him with a deadpan expression, it's time to give it up. "Okay, okay. I finally _did_ draw the rainbow and—you won't believe it!—this..."

A good ten minutes later, it's Konan who interrupts his thrilling tale about a dog soiling the drawing of the rainbow with, "You don't even know, do you?"

"Not at all," is his instant reply, tone completely unrepentant.

There is a collective facepalm, and Naruto's smirk is utterly devious.

" _Na~_ ga _to_! Am I a bad person? Do I deserve this?" Yahiko despairs, clinging to the boy's shoulder. "I mean, _he's the devil_!"

Nagato merely gives him a comforting pat on the head, while his remaining hand rubs his temples in an attempt to ward off the oncoming headache. Konan remains seated with her face held in her hands. Naruto's smirk never wavers.

Regaining his composure after a few moments, Nagato coughs into his fist. "Moving on... How far in the future are you from, Sensei?"

"Hmm... Twenty... -seven years? Something like that." A grin breaks out on his face as he reveals, "Hey, I'll be born next year!"

"This is so strange," He hears Yahiko mutter, and the grin widens.

Konan chimes in with her own input. "Oh, I've just realized... You are... will be much younger than us. _That's_ strange; I can't imagine you as a child."

Naruto snorts. "I haven't changed at all. Just stick my face on a smaller body, and you'll have me as little kid." He then divulges, "Just think about me having you guys as my students when—" His voice falters momentarily as he imagines them meeting first as enemies and their sad fates before he continues. "—when you guys were all old as dirt."

Yahiko makes a weird choking noise, and they all laugh. None of them ask him about what happens in the future, and he doesn't speak about it, as if there is some unspoken rule urging them not to. They've all got enough to think about at the moment, anyway.

"Does Jiraiya-sensei know?" Yahiko asks sometime later, repeating Nagato's inquiry from earlier.

Naruto shakes his head. "No, you guys are the only ones. You'd better feel special, you brats."

"Are you going to tell him?" His only female students questions from beside him.

Running his hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd had since childhood, he answers, "Yeah, I guess I'll have to, eventually, considering the stuff that's going to happen..."

She nods, and they all decide that sleeping would probably be more beneficial than continuing the discussion.

There's always the morning.

* * *

"An unidentified Konoha shinobi, you say?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Sarutobi Hiruzen peers at the report over his pipe and then up at his soon-to-be-successor.

The Sandaime sighs wearily but addresses his ANBU nonetheless, "Contact Jiraiya immediately. This must be looked into."


	10. It's Not Your Fault, You Know

**X. (Yahiko, Age: 18-ish)  
**

"Damn it!" he growls, frustrated and angry and a multitude of other emotions Konan can't even begin to identity swirling within Yahiko's troubled gaze; she can't even categorize the chaos of feelings exploding in her _own_ chest at the moment. Nevertheless, she watches on worriedly as he slams his fist against the rough bark of the tree again and again, a million comforts resting upon her tongue that she attempts to swallow. Yahiko must be the first to speak.

After awhile, he lets out a heavy sigh. "He's an _idiot_." The fact that her childhood friend is referring to Naruto-sensei is rather obvious, and the statement is so final and laced with such rawness that she wouldn't have corrected him even if she didn't agree wholeheartedly on the matter. She maintains her silence, and he begins again, voice haggard and self-deprecating. " _We're_ idiots, too." She nods, though he can't see it anyway, and still she waits.

Suddenly, he whips around, brown eyes bright with unshed tears, and his face is crumpled in such agony that Konan almost reaches out to him. Almost. She doesn't because Yahiko _needs_ to get this out of his system, desperately needs to take some of the weight off of his shoulders, and she's not going to be the one to deny him such a thing.

Heedless of the increasing wetness trailing his ghostly pale cheeks, he blurts out the crux of the matter, "But _I'm_ the biggest idiot of us all! It's my fault you and Nagato ended up like that! And... and _Jiraiya-sensei_!" He takes a shuddering breath, hurriedly grabbing onto the tree to balance himself. Without looking up at her, he hisses, "It's my fault he died, and it's my fault Naruto-sensei had to give up _everything_ to come back..."

Konan gasps at the implication, and Yahiko's anguished gaze flies up to meet hers. "I don't believe _for a second_ that any of this was an accident. You know as well as I do that our sensei's a self-sacrificing _moron_." Make that _both_ of our teachers, Konan thinks uneasily, thoughts going back to Jiraiya-sensei's apparent suicide mission. She feels a familiar burning sensation behind her eyes when her mind reminds her, caustically, that she, whether directly or indirectly, was the _cause_.

Yahiko's expression softens as he undoubtedly notices her distress, and he tilts his head up toward the sky. A strained silence follows as Konan attempts to compose herself (She was out here to comfort her hot-headed friend, not make matters worse!) and decide how best to proceed. She eventually decides to just wing it.

"I'm not saying we can replace Sensei's friends or family-nor would I want to," She begins, clarifying when Yahiko regards her out of the corner of his eye. "Even so, I don't think he's ever been unhappy with us, Yahiko. That idiot's grown on us, and I'm willing to bet it's the same for him." She goes on, abruptly realizing something she doesn't think any of them have really considered just yet, "And he _hasn't_ lost everything, not really. His _parents_ are still _alive_!"

By Yahiko's widened eyes and gaping mouth, an expression far more like the exuberant boy she's come to know and love like a brother, Konan can consider her quest to cheer the boy up a definite win.

Now if only the small voice in the back of her mind whispering menacingly at her _(MurdererMurdererMurderer)_ could be driven away so easily.

 


	11. Brightly Burning Determination

**XI. (Naruto, Age: 23-ish)  
**

Naruto manages to smother his laughter behind a cough even as he exchanges an amused glance with Nagato, but Yahiko doesn't even notice as he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, still attempting to dissuade a particularly insistent fan-girl (with no real success thus far.) Honestly, the entire situation is made even more entertaining by the fact that his enthusiastic student had actually bragged to them endlessly about having the entire village smitten with him because of his 'charisma' and 'devilishly handsome looks' right up until he'd officially become the figurehead of the Akatsuki and the whole of Ame did exactly that.

Who knew the hot-headed, little brat could be modest?

Diligently ignoring the small voice in his head (that sounds suspiciously like his old teammate's disdainful drawl) pointing out the fact he had been the same way once, he surveys the various villagers milling about and around them (considering the woman chattering away to Yahiko had quite literally stopped them in the middle of the street) and thinks back to what had led to this development, faintly bemused even still.

His adorable students had been witness to the harshness of the shinobi world even before Pervy Sage had taken them under his wing, and even Naruto, for all of his idealism and lightheartedness and (though he'd never admit to it even on pain of death) 'mother-henning', could not shield them from it while they were under his care. Two and half years after Naruto unceremoniously adopted the trio, Hanzo's paranoia had reached new heights, and his ridiculous precautions and haphazard delegations of the village's resources inevitably led to food shortages among the denizens and an increase in unemployment for citizens and ninja alike.

The children had tagged along on one of his rare treks into the heart of Ame, and the gloomy atmosphere and overall misery permeating the air had been so obvious that even Yahiko had noticed. _Well_ , Naruto muses, correcting himself, stretching his arms above his head as said boy finally gets rid of the girl and shoots Don't-You-Dare-Say-A-Word glances at he and Nagato as they walk along, his most cheerful student _has_ always had the uncanny ability to grasp the most important part of a conversation.

All it had taken was _one_ trip into the village, and Yahiko had decided then and there that he was going to change it.

_"Yahiko?" was uttered in surprise at the same time as Konan's "What are you talking about?" The two didn't even bother exchanging looks as per usual, instead keeping_ their _eyes glued on the boy whose eyes were gazing about the market in indignant rage. Naruto had, of course, picked up on what his student was referring to. Never mind the fact the kid's an open book; he recognizes the same feelings stirring within his own body. Words such as 'despicable', 'pathetic', and 'unacceptable' come to mind, all of them synonymous with 'Hanzo.'_

_"I'm going to change this," he explains to the two who don't quite understand just yet when he receives a nod of approval from Naruto, gesturing all around them, "all of this. No one deserves to suffer like this,_ especially _by their leader's own hand." Ah,_ he can remember thinking with a grin, _so Yahiko_ has _been keeping up with news regarding the village. Nagato and Konan start at the revelation, eyes wide, and Naruto steps forward to ruffle his hair._

What could the three of them have done _but_ accept such brightly burning determination?

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the basic timeline of this fic:
> 
> Naruto unofficially adopts them - Yahiko, Nagato, Konan (Age: 10-ish) and Naruto (Age: 18-ish)
> 
> .  
> .
> 
> They live/train together for eight years, during the lull between the Second and Third Shinobi Wars - Trio (Ages: 10-ish through 18-ish) and Naruto (Ages: 18-ish through 25-ish)
> 
> .  
> .
> 
> Present Time/what's happening now - Ame Trio (Age: 18-ish), Naruto (Age: 25-ish)


End file.
